Something is tanking my Perception? How?

[EmberStar]

I was just checking my inventory, and noticed that something is generating a massive drain on my Perception. The problem is, I can't tell what is doing it. Nothing shows up in perks, and there aren't any listed status effects. And it's not something I can ignore, since it seems to be draining away about five points - *with* clothes and a hat that boosts perception on, I still barely have any left.

Since there's not visible effects listed, I have no idea how to fix this. And I'm pretty well crippled unless I find a way to fix it. :(

[Out Of Bubblegum]

Might be a side effect from using med-x. I do not know much about it but I have seen some posts here discussing it.

[Bored Peon]

Did you suffer a head wound? There is a rare head wound you can get in survival that tanks your perception to like 1 perception.

Try a search on permanent head wound.

[Luxia]

You might've screwed yourself if you took a Med-X while poisoned, according to this https://www.reddit.com/r/fo4/comments/6aa33g/psa_theres_a_bug_that_permanently_decreases/
If the penalty doesn't go away, you can always bring your Perception up to whatever value via mods/console commands to get around it.

[EmberStar]

That's probably what's causing it. And checking my older saves, it apparently happened a long time ago - I've been cleaning out older saves as I go and I don't have a single one that doesn't have this bug. Which I guess means this playthrough is effectively trashed. I have five Perception, and another two from clothes. And according to the pipboy readout, I have three perception left with this bug. If I swap the clothes for actual armor, I have ONE.

[Out Of Bubblegum]

Originally posted by EmberStar:

Which I guess means this playthrough is effectively trashed.

You can't use the console?

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Out Of Bubblegum:

Originally posted by EmberStar:

Which I guess means this playthrough is effectively trashed.

You can't use the console?

Yeah if you dont have the console enabled for survival your game is pretty much over if you get the permanent head wound.

There is probbaly at least two dozen topics on this since they introduced survival. If you are lucky you MIGHT find a fix. I dont really remember if there was one. Like I said search for "fallout 4 permanent head wound."

[ghpstage]

There seems to be multiple causes to this, med-x while poisoned being one, another being a head wound that the game doesn't correctly register as being healed.
I've seen claims that getting head crippled again and healing with a stimpak sometimes fixes it, but it probably only works if its related to the latter cause.

[EmberStar]

It's not fixable, because it's the "used Med-X after being bitten by a venemous insect" version. I think. So getting shot in the head won't help. And the perception penalty is *massive.* To the point that Vats is essentially useless, even with Perception enhancing gear. And no, I don't have the console enabled, so I can't just haxxor the problem away. :(

[EmberStar]

And it's pretty likely that I broke my game almost instantly, and only just noticed the problem now. I'm almost certain I tried to use Med-X after being ambushed by the bloodbugs eating the dead cow outside of Concord. So I've most likely had negative perception for most of my playthrough. Which would explain why VATS has felt so completely pointless up to now.

Oh well. Maybe I'll just figure out how to install Fallout Script Extender and the mod that un-disables Achievements. Then I can try to install the Unofficial Patch and start a game that won't include some of the random broken that Bethesda can't be bothered to fix.

[Mujokan]

From what I have read there are two reasons for a perception drop like this.

One is getting your head crippled, and it doesn't heal. The remedy I have seen for this is to re-cripple your head and take a stimpack.

The other is increasing your poison resistance while you are under the influence of poison. The game's math is broken and it doesn't restore your perception properly when the poison wears off. The remedy for this is the opposite, decreasing your poison resistance while you are under the influence of poison. You can do this e.g. by taking off poison resist gear in the four second poison window.

It can be tricky to get your perception exactly back to the original value with this method. I found that having a high positive resist from med-x while you are trying this trick by taking off legendary armor means you can get your perception back in fine increments.

[clarkeveritas]

There is a mod you can find from inside the game, in the mod search that fixes it. My PER was stuck at 1 for a while until I figured it out. I think the mod gives you an item you use to reset your stats that you can use over and over if necessary. I'm using it right now- if you can't find it post back and I'll give you the exact name.

[EmberStar]

You might post it just for general information, in case someone else has a similar issue. I've already deleted my saves and started over.

[clarkeveritas]

Called the Survival SPECIAL Bug Remover. Like I said- you can find it using the in-game mod organizer/searcher/thingee and I'd assume you can find it on nexus or any of the major mod hubs. Pretty sure it gives you an item that reverts all your SPECIAL stats but it's been quite a while. Definately remember that it worked.... it was REALLY annoying to have my Perception Stat at 1.

[Doombringer]

There is a console command to re-enable survival after you turn it off,
so you could turn off survival, console back your perception, console back survival mode.
Assuming you are down 5 perception:
player.modav perception 5
cgf "Game.IncrementStat" "Survival Denied" -1

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Doombringer:

There is a console command to re-enable survival after you turn it off,
so you could turn off survival, console back your perception, console back survival mode.
Assuming you are down 5 perception:
player.modav perception 5
cgf "Game.IncrementStat" "Survival Denied" -1

I just seen a mod that does that the other day. I mean if you cna do it with a console command then what is the point of having a mod do it for you?

That is very good to know though. I am sure quite a few people would love to know that console command that dont use mods.